Patagonia Short Break - Torres Del Paine

On Short Breaks, you maintain a good level of independence and freedom, with the added bonus of having the details sorted out for you and you won’t be accompanied by a Trip Leader. This means that all included activities and tours will be run by different local Intrepid partners, and these may operate independently from each other. The included activities and transfers will operate on a join-in basis, which means that you could have your Adventure all to yourself, or others may join you along the way. If you would prefer to travel in a group with a dedicated Trip Leader, just get in touch with your booking agent and they will take you through some alternatives.

This trip is operated by one of our local partners in Chile and therefore you may be joined by a mixture of Intrepid-booked passengers and other travellers during activities.

A good level of fitness is required to get the most out of the multiple treks available on this trip. This is especially important for the 8-hour trek to Base Torres.

Weather in Patagonia can be wild, so it's important to prepare for all elements. Rain, wind and extreme cold are all part of the adventure. As a result of this wild weather the hikes and activities within Torres del Paine National Park may not always be possible, so if you are prepared to be a little flexible, you will have a great time!

1. The order of the activities included may vary due to weather conditions..
2. This trip will run with a minimum of one person, so you may be joined by other travellers booked on the same date as you, or you may be on your own. This trip is operated by one of our local partners in Chile and therefore you may be joined by a mixture of Intrepid-booked passengers and other travellers during activities.
3. The maximum number of travelers is indicative of maximum number of travelers during join-in activities only.
4. Arrival transfer from Puerto Natales airport or Puerto Natales bus station is included. Please ensure you provide us with your flight details at time of booking.
5. Before departure make sure you confirm with your Intrepid Agent if you will choose the Base Torres Trek or the Puerto Natales panoramic tour as your Day 4 activity.
6. Private Transfers from Punta Arenas Airport or El Calafate Airport are available as additional services only. Please enquire at the time of booking.
7. If you decide to fly out of El Calafate Airport on Day 5 please choose a flight in late afternoon, after 3 pm only. This will give you time to arrive in El Calafate.
8. Entry into Chile does not currently require any proof of COVID-19 vaccination, however, we recommend that you bring a proof of vaccination with you.

Passengers to need to be prepared for summer and winter all at once. We recommend the following:
o A day backpack (to carry a camera, glasses, raincoat, etc).
o Waterproof jacket or/and fleece jacket.
o Shorts or comfortable loose pants.
o Sun protection (glasses, hat, lip balm and screen).
o Trekking shoes., RECOMMENDED:
- Soft and/or hard copies of all important documents e.g. air tickets, passport, vaccination certificate, etc. and keep the hard copies separate from the originals. While not valid, a copy makes it very much easier to obtain replacements if necessary
- Water bottle. We recommend at least a 1.5 litre capacity. The sale of bottled water contributes to an enormous environmental problem around the world. In addition to the water in bottles, the production of a 1 litre plastic bottle takes 2 litres of water and 200ml of oil. A large proportion end up in limited landfill or discarded in waterways and natural environments
- Electrical adapter plug (view www.kropla.com)
- Personal medical kit. Your guide will carry a large kit but we recommend you carry items such as mild pain killers, electrolytes and bandaids.
- Insect repellent
- Watch/Alarm clock or phone that can be used for both

OPTIONAL:
- Ear plugs to guard against a potential snoring room-mate
- Phrase book

VALUABLES:
Please try to avoid bringing unnecessary valuables, and use your hotel safe. It’s also a good idea to purchase a money belt or pouch that is easily hidden.

LAUNDRY
Laundry is available at many hotels and towns during this trip, although you might need to wait for a two-night stop in order to make sure you get it back in time. While laundry at hotels is usually charged by the item, laundromats usually charge by the kilo, which is generally inexpensive (about USD 2 per kilo)

Your Puerto Natales Hotel, Multiple Pick-up points, Puerto Natales, CHILE

Alternate Joining Point

Please make sure that you provide your flight details no later than 14 days before departure to book your arrival transfer with us.

For your confirmed arrival transfer, you’ll be met at Puerto Natales Airport (PNT) or Puerto Natales Bus Station by a transfer representative holding an Intrepid sign or one displaying your name. In case of flight cancellations, changes, if you experience severe delays at immigration, baggage collection or customs, or if you are not able to find the driver, please contact our local office on the number in the ‘Problems and emergency contact information’ section.

For this trip we use the following hotel:
Altiplanico Puerto Natales
Huertos Familiar 282
Puerto Natales
6160000
CHILE
Phone: +56 61 241 2525

Alternative hotel:

During the high season our hotel is in high demand. If we are unable to confirm the above hotel, we will use alternative hotels of a similar standard, the names of which will be advised to you upon confirmation. Please check your Intrepid travel itinerary for your alternative hotel address.

Two alternative hotels we are using during busy season are listed below:

Weskar Lodge
Huerto 274-B
Puerto Natales
CHILE

Best Western Patagonia ( Former BORDE GLACIAR)
Camino Natales, Puerto Bories, KM 2.5,
Puerto Natales
6160000
CHILE

Your Puerto Natales Hotel, Multiple Pick-up points, Puerto Natales, CHILE

Alternate Finish Point

Breakfasts included: 4

Lunches included: 3

Dinners included: 1

While travelling with us you'll experience the vast array of wonderful food available in the world. Your leader or local guide will be able to suggest restaurants to try during your trip. To give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where and what to eat, generally not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility.

SIMPLE BREAKFAST
Breakfasts can be quite simple: toasts, spreads, juice and coffee or tea.
DIET REQUIREMENTS
Generally speaking, in bigger cities/towns vegetarians can expect a reasonable range of vegetarian venues and/or vegetarian options within tourist restaurant menus. However, vegetarianism is not the norm in this part of the world so options can be limited when eating at homestays, small local restaurants, street stools, markets, etc.
More restrictive diet requirements (vegans, celiac, gluten intolerance, fructose intolerance, lactose intolerance, etc.) should expect a lesser variety than what you can expect at home. We recommend that, if possible, to bring your own supply of snacks with you.
 

WEATHER IN CHILE
The best time to visit depends largely on your chosen activities and destinations as Chile’s substantial length ensures that the climate is incredibly varied. Summer (December to March) is possibly the best time to visit Chile, as the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine and lakes region are reasonably warm. The trade-off however, is that the Atacama Desert can be very hot during this time. For the central and northern regions, autumn is a comfortable time to visit, however during this time it can be quite cold in the south, especially at night. Snow fall is common during winter (July to September) in the south of the country, so this is the ideal time for a skiing or snowboarding holiday.

For general contact details please use the following page: http://www.intrepidtravel.com/ourtrips/contact/

In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with our local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.
We recognise that there may be times when your local partner may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask to speak to their direct manager.
You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

Available for phone call or WhatsApp call on +569 2754 7405, +569 7108 1365

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.

Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.